POST FALLS — A mix of about 30 students and families gathered outside Post Falls High School on Tuesday morning to show their displeasure with disciplinary actions taken by district trustees after a “concerning photo” with members of the football team surfaced.
Students and family members hung signs with messages such as, “Help them grow, don’t shut them out,” “One moment doesn’t make the whole story” and “Mistakes are inevitable and part of life and growth, not meant to define you, but to learn from and become wiser.”
Post Falls School District Deputy Superintendent Anna Wilson told The Press last week that the student-athletes were in violation of PFSD Board Policy 504.12, which deals with “Weapons Prohibited on School Property” in the photo.
“It is prohibited for any student to threaten by word or act to use a firearm or other deadly or dangerous weapon to do violence to any other person on school grounds,” the policy reads in part.
A statement from the board Monday said if students bring a weapon on school grounds, including simulated weapons, this action automatically results in a one-year expulsion.
As of Monday, the school district said no students have been expelled from the Post Falls School District this school year.
According to district policy, the board has discretion to deviate from the automatic expulsion on a case-by-case basis when the board finds the student’s presence is not detrimental to the safety of other students.
Post Falls senior Jace Ostlund said he and other students started organizing the walkout last week after efforts to reinstate players weren’t supported by the district. The players were suspended from all sports for the remainder of the school year.
“The kids got suspended for two weeks and they got their whole school year taken away — football, basketball, track, the whole thing,” Jace said. “The kids aren’t bad kids. It wasn’t a threat to Coeur d’Alene (High School) or any person.”
Jace said he was there because he wanted to support his friends who may lose recruitment opportunities because they’re unable to play.
“This affects them and does impact their careers,” Jace said.
His father, Travis Ostlund, has been sharing information on social media where the photo has been discussed.
“We support their First Amendment rights, we wanted to make sure this was peaceful and safe and that’s why we got involved,” Travis Ostlund said during the protest.
Travis framed the student incident as starting with a hype session in anticipation of the football season.
A Coeur d’Alene jersey was introduced into the photoshoot and then things escalated with an airsoft gun.
“It’s absolutely nothing political. They did a photoshoot for hype photos and somebody had brought airsoft guns,” Travis said. “Somebody had a bad idea, but they realized they made a poor decision in hindsight and that’s why it didn’t get onto social media.”
“It was never posted,” student Makya Quincy added.
Travis detailed the proposals from parents for disciplinary action that were shared with the board as alternatives to preventing students from playing sports for the remainder of the year:
• Suspension from a defined number of contests in football, in alignment with the Athletic Code of Conduct.
• Students to be placed on disciplinary probation for the remainder of the school year.
• Student completion of community service hours to reinforce civic responsibility.
• A student-led presentation to younger athletes on the dangers of BB guns and look-alike weapons.
“We presented to the district asking them to reconsider and all of those options were in our appeal letter,” Travis said.
The students were first-time offenders, and Travis said they had already done community service prior to the quasi-judicial hearing.
“It could have been a more constructive punishment. Kids were being looked at for recruitment and we were one game into the season,” Travis said. “Most people understand these kids are good kids, but they made a bad decision.”
District officials have cited federal law prohibiting them from sharing specifics about disciplinary matters involving students but have instead directed community members to learn directly from families about details of the case.